The George Jackson '76 Initiative
Who was George Jackson '76?
George Jackson '76 was a former president of Motown Records and president and member of the school’s Board of Trustees. Mr. Jackson was also inducted into the Prep’s Hall of Honor in 2011.
He passed away in 2000 at the age of 42.
In the summer of 2020, Tim Brosnan '76 P '12 approached, then, Fordham Prep president Fr. Christopher Devron, SJ about establishing a program to support Black students both financially and socially.
Brosnan was joined by alumni across multiple generations, as well as current and past members of the school's Board of Trustees, to provide resources for an endowed scholarship for Black students and to develop a mentoring program for recipients of the scholarship as well as first-generation students of all backgrounds.
Because of their efforts, the George Jackson ‘76 Initiative was born.
The George Jackson '76 Initiative is part of the Prep’s broader program to address issues of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. These are core values embedded within Fordham Prep’s Catholic Jesuit mission and tradition. They flow from our faith in God, in whose own image and likeness each person is created and imbued with dignity.
“The mission of the Prep is to form leaders for the future. They need to be capable of understanding from a historical and social standpoint more about our larger society. For that reason, the DEI program is important for opening the eyes of our students.”
- Jack Bergen ’60
"The Prep is a school that creates the leaders of tomorrow. If we didn’t prioritize a DEI program, then we would be failing to equip the young men with the skills needed to embrace each of their diverse perspectives."
- Mohammed Kanu ’07, Member of DEI Task Force
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For a long time, there has been the yearning for a mentoring program specifically for students of color. Yet, there just wasn't a catalyst for that to begin.
- Kenneth Tejeda, College Counselor & moderator of the George Jackson '76 Mentoring Program